Changing schools is never easy. Closing schools is even harder. However, sometimes it just has to be done.

We do not have the luxury of maintaining the infrastructure of a school system built for nearly 20,000 students when we now have fewer than 10,000 students – fewer than half!

I was educated in Warwick Public Schools; my three children have attended, or do attend, Warwick Public Schools. We all want the best for the students. We all know the demographics have changed!

Delaying the necessary by spending scarce taxpayer dollars on consultants – forcing the cutting of more programs like the defunct ALAP … will only continue to bring down the whole system.

We must consolidate and improve the quality of education for all students.

Cedar Hill is doing it. Potowomut was closed several years ago now and its students transferred to Cedar Hill, making Cedar Hill the largest elementary school in the district. The former Potowomut students transitioned beautifully and Cedar Hill remained a great school. It is now getting even better.

Let’s put aside the understandable emotion and do what obviously must be done in the best interest of all students and taxpayers; that is, consolidate the system to scale to the current demographic and focus on improving the quality of the education for all of our students!